


Royalty

by TheMysteriousArtist



Category: Henry Stickmin Series (Video Games)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Selectively Mute Character, i still don’t know how to tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-07
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:49:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26883175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMysteriousArtist/pseuds/TheMysteriousArtist
Summary: Henry stared into the shutters of his office, a dim light the only thing keeping him from complete darkness. His eyes were focused, but not on what was ahead. They were clouded with thought as he searched within his brain for answers to unknown questions.He had everything he had ever wanted to achieve when he was younger. He was treated like royalty, he had made a name for himself, he now had a purpose as the leader of the Toppat Clan, bringing it to glory with his brilliant ideas...So why did he feel like something was missing?
Relationships: Charles Calvin & Henry Stickmin, Charles Calvin/Henry Stickmin, Ellie Rose & Henry Stickmin
Comments: 13
Kudos: 151





	Royalty

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is meant to be read along with my other fic, “Loyalty”, but you can read them in whichever order you want, since they both make sense on their own. This is about the same events as the first fic, but this time, we get to see it from Henry’s point of view. 
> 
> I’m really overwhelmed with happiness about the amount of positive support and feedback I got from my first fic, so I hope you all enjoy this one as much as the other!

Henry stared into the shutters of his office, a dim light the only thing keeping him from complete darkness. His eyes were focused, but not on what was ahead. They were clouded with thought as he searched within his brain for answers to unknown questions.

He had everything he had ever wanted to achieve when he was younger. He was treated like royalty, he had made a name for himself, he now had a purpose as the leader of the Toppat Clan, bringing it to glory with his brilliant ideas...

So why did he feel like something was missing? Why did it feel like he had completed a jigsaw puzzle, just to see the center piece fit awkwardly, throwing the rest of the pieces carefully weaved together off balance. He could ignore it, move onto the next, yet he couldn’t get the image of the uneven puzzle out of his head. Its unequal surface mocking him in the back of his mind.

Henry had always been a problematic little kid, his problems following him into adulthood and making his life a little bit harder. Teased by others and ignored by adults in the foster system, only noticed whenever he got himself into trouble. Treated as the opposite of royalty. A weirdo. A brat. 

He had been silent, clever, cunning, crafty, sneaky, hard to read.

But he had also been a troublemaker, a friendless pipsqueak, a kleptomaniac. He was considered that weirdo who stole anything from anyone, especially if it was shiny or expensive.

Henry was alone most of his childhood, and he was never exactly treated ‘nicely’ by anyone. He didn’t really mind, of course, since being alone allowed him to spend his time however he wanted, and he never had a reason to change who he was or how he acted. He used his free time to his advantage, teaching himself sign language so he didn’t have to speak and how to make decent plans.

As he grew older, he became more experienced. Better at planning (although he never bothered since he preferred to improvise), better at going by unnoticed, better at reading people. He could always tell if someone was lying or hiding something, dedicating his free time to discover any mystery that caught his sharp eye. 

He began making a name for himself, people began coming to him for his skills, offering to pay for his services. At first, it was nothing too special. Someone would go to him, asking him to sneak around and find out something about someone, and they’d leave, never bothering to ‘speak’ with him again unless they needed him once more. 

However, as he got better and better, he began craving more.

He soon grew bored of his simple business, wanting something a bit more challenging and exciting to come his way. He wanted to be treated differently, and not just treated like a misunderstood, naive little kid. He began planning heists for fun, plans to steal extremely valuable objects from royals and museums and get away with it, but he never really did anything with those plans.

Until he realized that his heists had the possibility of working.

He began small, stealing a few jewels from royal families, some money from minor stores here and there or pickpocketing passerbys, while making sure to keep his identity hidden, hoping nobody would deduce it was him so he could keep going.

When he grew bored of that, he began planning more dangerous heists for more valuable objects. He began making a name for himself in the criminal world, known for his crazy weird plans which always managed to work. 

Before he even knew it, Henry was becoming an expert at his ‘job’, many trying and failing to capture him, always going after this other guy Henry didn’t bother investigating. They treated him like an inconvenience.

Although, he was eventually captured when he carelessly activated an alarm when he broke into a bank of sorts, and Henry was sent to prison. He had been in his cell, nearly finished with his plan of escape, when he was mocked by the guards and received a strange package. The package had exactly what Henry needed to escape, and so, he did. 

He became a known criminal, having to hide his face as he walked through the streets. It was inconvenient, but he could handle it.

He continued down his path of crime, becoming what people called a ‘criminal mastermind’ as he simply stole whatever he felt like stealing, usually selling it so he could continue to have a home. They began treating him like a criminal.

His life took an unexpected turn, however, one night as he was watching the news.

When Henry laid his eyes on that diamond, he immediately knew it had to be his. It was so shiny, nearly crystal clear, the light reflecting from it causing it to shimmer brightly. He definitely didn’t pout when the camera zoomed out, making it harder to see through the glass.

He quickly took his keys and left on his scooter, not bothering with a plan he already knew he wouldn’t follow.

That robbery drew a lot of attention to him.

After the diamond had been stolen, Henry decided it was about time to keep a low profile, at least until his robbery was off the news. He simply stayed home, watching TV, doodling, or polishing his diamond. (Which he refused to sell. It was his. Back off.)

He thought he had been doing relatively well, until the day something unexpected happened.

He simply stepped outside for a second one morning, breathing in the fresh air and enjoying the warm sunlight for a couple of moments. 

He heard a noise, immediately looking around cautiously as he tried to find the source of the sound, but there was nothing around him that could’ve made the strange noise.

When he decided to go back inside, he felt the presence of a person behind him, looming over him and sending chills down his spine. He tried to turn around, only to be stopped by a cloth being placed over his mouth and nose. He held his breath for as long as he could, struggling against the grip forcing him to stay in place, yet his attempts were futile.

The world spun around him, black dots clouding the corners of his vision as his throat began to burn in a desperate plea for oxygen. He felt his eyes begin to close against his will, his entire body becoming too heavy for his legs.

Henry knew he wouldn’t last long like this.

In a final attempt to free himself, he closed his eyes and went limp, making sure to remind himself not to actually pass out. As the grip on him lessened, he quickly grabbed what he assumed to be an arm and threw his attacker over his shoulder as hard as he could.

The moment the cloth was removed from his face, he immediately inhaled, gulping in as many lungfuls of air as he needed. As he tried to recover, he immediately got in a defensive stance, ready to fight if the person tried to knock him out again.

The person in front was most definitely working for the government. He was wearing a green uniform and a hat, which was on the floor, a gray mustache, and had a large bruise forming on his head. Henry panicked for a moment, since the thief was nearly abducted by the government, until he heard a soft click somewhere behind him.

He felt a prick, and his world went dark.

He had been treated like a wild animal.

When he returned to consciousness, he didn’t immediately open his eyes, remembering what had happened right outside his home. He tried listening for any clues that could tell him where he was or any means to escape, only to realize he was in the air. 

He was jerked awake by the sudden movement of the vehicle, only to be immediately met with the man who had tried to kidnap him. He began explaining how he had to infiltrate the Toppat clan to earn a pardon, but Henry found himself only half listening, the other half of his concentration stuck on the fact that the man was hiding the bruise with the hat. 

He was being treated like a tool.

He received an earpiece and headed in, not knowing what to expect from this ‘Charlie’ guy the captain had mentioned.

Henry definitely didn’t expect the mission to be as fun and exciting as it was. He was definitely disappointed when it had to come to an end.

After the mission was over and they had returned to the government base to drop off the information, Charles had been ordered to drop him off at home, since it was very far away from its location. 

The moment they got into the air, Charles began to talk.

“So, how does it feel to be pardoned? Was it worth it? Was the mission hard? Have you ever done anything that dangerous and exciting?”

Henry simply stared back, bewildered by the amount of questions and not knowing what to say. Before he could even answer, however, Charles was already speaking again.

“Oh! I’m so sorry, I haven’t properly introduced myself, have I? The name’s Charles, and you are?”

Henry stayed still for a few moments, wondering how to answer the pilot. He decided to just get it out there he wasn’t comfortable speaking, and sign his answer.

‘I’m Henry.’

Charles stared for a while, tilting his head to the side slowly and continuously in confusion, as if he were trying to decipher something, before his eyes lit up and he enthusiastically spoke up again.

“Henry! You said your name was Henry, right? Sorry, my sign language is a bit rusty! Although, it’s so cool that you know sign language!”

Charles suddenly stopped his rambling, looking away, embarrassed.

“I’m talking too much, aren’t I? I’m sorry, I just... I talk a lot when I’m excited or after a successful mission, I swear I’m usually not this annoying. I’ll just shut up now.”

Henry chuckled a bit. His personality reminded him of a small, hyperactive puppy.

‘No, no, it’s fine. It doesn’t bother me at all. Can you repeat the questions? I couldn’t catch them all.’

Henry would never forget the way his eyes immediately went wide and his face lit up. Time went by in a flash as they distracted themselves with conversation. They were both saddened when they had to depart.

Charles looked at him with a smile, trying to hide his obvious disappointment.

“So, this is your stop, right?”

Henry nodded, then remembered something.

‘Hey, when you guys kidnapped me, did you take my diamond?’

Charles choked on his own spit.

“I’m sorry, your WHAT. You still have it!?!”

Henry laughed nervously as he began inching away towards his home, hoping Charles wouldn’t make him return his treasure. He flinched when he heard Charles’ footsteps following behind his.

“Henry, wait!”

The thief turned around, expecting a really long lecture on why stealing is bad, but was surprised to find the pilot holding out a piece of paper for him to take, a soft red dusting his cheeks.

“I-I wrote down my phone number for you! If you ever need anything, make sure to give me a call.”

Henry stared in complete bewilderment at the man, not expecting anything close to this happening. Nevertheless, he signed a quick ‘thank you’ and took the paper from his hands, waving at a smiling Charles as he went back home. Charles had treated him like a person.

Henry expected to immediately go back to his thrilling life of crime, stealing from royalty once again, only to find that he simply couldn’t. At least, he couldn’t enjoy it like he once had.

After the mission with Charles, Henry found himself craving for much more than he had back home. He had limited resources and no super dangerous clans to go against, making his heists and robberies extremely boring to him since the only thing there was were bodyguards guarding lame royal treasures.

He thought about calling Charles every day, missing the pilot a lot more than he thought he would, but his anxiety and nervousness never allowed him to do so. He couldn’t sign through the phone or just go ‘So hey Charles you know how I went back to breaking the law after being pardoned? I’m super bored, does the government have any deadly missions to go on and another pardon? Oh, and can we both go on said mission because I really miss you for some reason?’

The only moment in those three months he found himself relaxed was when he had randomly decided to do find out more about Charles.

Why?

Because he could.

Although it had been tough in the beginning, he found his search much easier when he learned the pilot’s full name. He didn’t even know why he felt so at peace, or why his mind immediately held on to this information, but it did. 

He found himself wanting to see Charles more than ever, to ask him about these facts and check if he had gotten anything right. He didn’t even know why he was so interested in his life, but he was.

His curiosity nagged at him, always in the back of his head and increasing whenever he thought about him.

Like an unsolvable mystery.

In the random day something unusual happened again, Henry had been at home, wondering if he should call Charles for the fifth time that same day. He found himself wishing he had his diamond so he could get lost in its shine as he let his mind wander, but quickly reminded himself he had hidden away his diamond in fear that the government wanted it back, although it wasn’t necessary since, apparently, Charles hadn’t told anyone about it.

He had been so focused on his speculation about Charles, he completely overlooked the other presence in the room. When he heard something behind him, it was already too late. He felt a strong blow to his head, the excruciating pain washed away as he was surrounded by darkness.

Henry had no idea how he had gotten himself into this situation.

He saw no reason to be kept prisoner, he had been pardoned and he hadn’t committed any crimes since.

At least, no crimes that could be traced back to him...

Nevertheless, he escaped his cell immediately after being transferred, accidentally crushing a guard as he fell through the floor. He began quickly scanning the room, looking for anything that could help him with his escape.

He spotted a phone on the floor.

His face became a bright crimson as an idea began to form, his only hope of escaping being the one thing he had been avoiding. He quickly checked his pockets, feeling disappointment as he couldn’t feel the piece of paper he kept at all times. He simply brushed it off.

He had memorized the number, after all.

He shakily forced himself to insert the phone number and click ‘call’, knowing he was never going to get out of the place without Charles.

Of course, he was nervous and anxious the entire call, seeing as he was asking a government pilot to ditch an important mission to pick him up after he got himself captured.

Charles, of course, immediately and enthusiastically accepted.

So, another daring mission later, they were on their way to complete Charles’ mission. That flight gave them plenty of time to catch up, and Henry’s worries drifted away.

After getting knocked out or captured more times than anyone should, he decided to join the government so he could go on missions, have protection against being kidnapped, and because he wanted to work with Charles.

It was fine, at first, going on dangerous missions and always managing to succeed.

Then began the problems.

He was still outcasted, seeing as he was still the same person he ever was inside. He didn’t have the freedom of making his own schedule anymore, couldn’t steal anything he wanted, he felt like a dog on a leash. He always got in trouble for being a kleptomaniac, he wasn’t trusted for being a former thief, he was never allowed to be on his own. 

But there was always someone who made all his troubles worth it.

Charles never treated him badly, never outcasted him and sometimes outcasted himself to spend time with him, always trusted him, no matter what. He always reassured Henry, comforted Henry, offered him a place to stay since the government insisted he couldn’t be on his own, never tried to force him to speak, and never once questioned the giant diamond that appeared and disappeared in Henry’s room, sometimes even polishing it for the thief when he had a bad day. He was never bothered or angry when Henry would steal something of his, simply brushing it off with a shrug and a laugh. He never got upset with him when he would accidentally put their missions at risk for the sake of stealing something shiny, defending him and making sure he never got in trouble with General Galeforce. Afterwards, he would do whatever Henry felt like doing to cheer him up.

It wasn’t until after a specific mission when he realized what his feelings were. 

It had been one of their more dangerous missions, sneaking into a guarded facility just to steal some files back. They had been nearly done with the mission when they suddenly got ambushed, armed men standing in the way between them and their helicopter.

They managed to get past them, and were making their way through the forest to find the spot they had hidden the helicopter in. When they reached it, they both decided to sit and relax for a couple of minutes while their adrenaline ran out. Henry simply used his time to stare at the young pilot, wondering how injured he had been, and in how much pain he was.

It wasn’t until Charles turned around to meet his eyes that Henry noticed the feeling for the first time. It was a slight constriction in his chest, a soft nausea in his stomach. A small rush of blood to his face and the feeling of warmth blooming within him as he stared into his mismatched eyes. He quickly looked away, startled by the feeling and oddly embarrassed. 

He tensed up in surprise as he felt hands on his shoulders, making him look up to be met with Charles in front of him. The feeling increased tenfold, with a feeling of guilt as he noticed Charles’ worried expression.

“Henry, are you bleeding?”

Henry flinched as he looked down, only now noticing the blood pooling onto the floor, making a puddle, and the aching pain. There was a large stain on the leg of his pants, slowly becoming larger and larger as the seconds went by. Henry slightly lifted up the red fabric, only to find a nasty bullet wound which made him cringe. He quickly put the fabric back, hoping Charles wouldn’t see the wound.

He looked up at Charles, blood stained hands shaking nervously as he signed.

‘Maybe..?’

Charles looked at him with a frustrated frown, making Henry regret his answer.

“Henry Stickmin, you are unbelievable. I can clearly see you got hurt! Come on, let me see the wound, I need to see the damage.”

Henry stayed still, protectively gripping the material around his wounds the pilot wouldn’t be able to see it.

“HENRY!”

Before he knew it, Henry found himself struggling against the soldier as he tried to lift up the cloth. He was very shocked to find himself fighting a losing battle, the other having a frightening and surprising amount of strength hidden underneath his green, oversized government jacket. Henry found himself instantly apprehended, the other succeeding and analyzing his wound. After trying and failing to push the other off him, the pilot not budging in any way, shape, or form, he finally allowed himself to relax, going limp and beginning to get dizzy, ignoring his increasing heartbeat and growing warmth as the other pinned him down by sitting on top of him.

Charles, on the other hand, looked extremely focused, from what Henry could see since he was facing away from him, although definitely still worried as he examined the wound on Henry’s leg.

“Yeah, this is definitely a very nasty wound, it’ll definitely scar. Looks like the bullet went through the leg, so there’s no bullet to remove. The bleeding still hasn’t stopped, so I need to bandage this, pronto.”

He finally got off Henry, walking away while murmuring.

“Gotta care for the wound right away, it could get infected pretty badly, since we’re not in the best environment...”

Henry sat back up and watched Charles until he went around the corner, going to the other side of the helicopter, before realizing what he was doing. The flurry of feelings returning just as soon as they had left, Henry shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind of whatever he was thinking.

Charles returned, a med kit in hand. The other nearly tripped over a branch, causing Henry to giggle at the sight. He simply observed Charles with interest as he thoroughly cleaned the wound, making sure to pause and be more gentle whenever Henry winced, and bandaged his leg tightly, making sure to be very careful with the amount of pressure he put on it, listening attentively to his murmuring.

Something along the lines of “Stupid idiot” or “It could’ve gotten infected”.

Afterwards, Charles insisted on helping Henry into the helicopter, and scolding him for his dumb attempt to hide his wound. When they had finally arrived at the base, as Henry began getting off the vehicle, he suddenly found himself in his partner’s arms, in a bridal carry.

“C-Charles!”

The other simply looked at him with a smile.

“Sorry, Henry! Gotta make sure you have that wound checked by a professional, which I am not. Besides, last time you told me you had gone to the medical tent, you ended up sick with stomach flu and I had to stay behind to take care of you.”

Henry sputtered for a moment, his face heating up more than ever before. Did he have a fever or something? His face felt like it was melting off!

‘Ok, that was one time-‘

“And one time was more than enough. Too late, we’re already on our way to the medical tent!”

Henry almost yelped as Charles suddenly took off, jogging towards the medical tent on the other side of the base without breaking a sweat.

If anyone asked, Henry definitely didn’t pout when Charles dropped him off in the medical area. Henry Stickmin never pouted.

When Charles left with a wink and a smile, making his way towards the general’s tent, Henry found himself oddly intrigued, his eyes glued on him as he went out of sight.

His face was too warm, it felt like it was on fire. The peculiar feeling in his stomach intensified and the weird fluttering in his chest mingled with the powerful beats of his heart. He nearly jumped up in surprise when he realized what he had been feeling this entire time.

He, Henry Stickmin, kleptomaniac and profesional thief, was in love with Charles Calvin.

All he did when the realization hit him was let out a whisper.

“Shit...”

He spent the rest of the day in his room, wondering how this could’ve happened. Had he fallen in love immediately, or progressively? When did it go from friendship to love? Why didn’t he realize it sooner? Why was he only realizing it now? How did the other steal the thief’s heart without being a thief in the first place?

The only question Henry never found himself asking was...

Why was he in love with Charles?

He never once considered that question, because his head was too busy with something else.

His mind began listing all the reasons why anyone shouldn’t be in love with that man.

Henry found himself in a trance, going from panicky questioning to lovey-dovey fantasizing in only a few milliseconds.

He simply adored everything about Charles. The way he talked, the way he acted, the way he tried so hard all the time. He admired his loyalty, his determination, his sense of humor, his inconsistent rambling when he was excited. He loved the way he would never force Henry to speak, instead teaching himself sign language so they could communicate easier, even teaching himself the signs Henry had made up and learning their meaning. He was in awe of his ridiculous strength, his comical plans and the fact he always went along with Henry’s insane plans, the fact he was so responsible and kind with a heart of gold, but serious and brave when push came to shove. Charles was so caring, helpful, considerate, happy. Henry was shocked to hear a lot of people didn’t like him. He loved the fact that Charles was a morning person, and always made him coffee in the morning since he was more of a night owl. The fact that his military outfit fit him so well, yet hid the amount of strength he truly had. The fact that, if you looked hard enough, you could see adorable little freckles adorning his face, making their appearance whenever the beautiful sunrise met his skin or the magical moon and stars shone brightest. The way he always closed at least one of his eyes and scrunched up his nose whenever he giggled or stifled his laughter. The way he managed to memorize what each and every one of Henry’s expressions meant, and the small sparkle of awe that appeared on his eyes whenever Henry would respond with his voice. The way his dorky, lopsided smile seemed to light up Henry’s world, cheering him up on the worst of days and on the darkest of nights. How his calming, relaxing aura always drove away his worries and demons.

The way he always defended him, comforted him, made him feel better, cared for him, was simply there for him. 

The fact that Charles, and Charles alone, never treated him like everyone else had. While everyone else saw him as a thief, a nuisance, an inconvenience, a tool, a dog on a leash...

Charles saw him as human.

Charles treated him like a friend.

The next day, he confidently walked out of his room. Henry accepted his love towards him, promising himself to do his best to be there for him too. 

He found himself falling deeper and deeper into the never ending void of feelings the more time he spent with Charles, and he spent a lot of time with the veteran.

He hated the fact that he loved that Charles was so, so strong, and that fact was very noticeable whenever he wasn’t wearing his usual green jacket. (Henry knew he always wore the jacket because people were extremely surprised and shocked to see the muscles he hid underneath it. Henry didn’t like that.) He suddenly found himself forcing his eyes away from the pilot whenever he decided to go work out, which he did often, since the young pilot always wore tank tops and stretched his arms over his head very often. (Henry always failed. Can you really blame him, though? Charles always used his shirt to wipe off the sweat on his forehead after he was finished kickboxing.)

He found himself getting more worried for him during their missions, found himself enjoying their little after work hangouts, found himself at ease whenever he was around. He even caught himself unconsciously flirting (somehow) once or twice, which made Charles adorably flustered, as he covered his face and looked away, refusing to make eye contact, or hiding his face in his hands. He began purposefully stealing things from Charles, like his jacket or even headphones, just because it was the only way he knew how to get his attention, and to see him make a cute pout when he found Henry with his stuff very visibly on him and wearing them like a trophy.

He found himself more upset whenever coworkers tried to warn him or persuade him into getting a different covert ops partner. Apparently, people had made it a rule to not get paired up with Charles, using rumors and lies to persuade others into disliking the young veteran. Making him look bad when the pilot had done nothing but his job, and their job as well. Henry had already asked Charles about the rumors, it was one of the first things he did, and he knew that those rumors were completely bogus. Charles was an extremely good person, who was simply being avoided for reasons he couldn’t control. 

Henry never listened to his coworkers, instead signing something they wouldn’t understand and walking away. He was never molested on how he got himself isolated by spending all of his time with Charles, but he barely ever noticed, instead concentrating on his partner as they went through their day.

Oh, how he dreaded the day it all had to come to an end. 

They had a very important mission to complete, involving the Toppats and some sort of jungle base. They were apparently attempting to launch a rocket, placing another base in space and becoming unreachable.

As a former criminal, Henry applauded them for their plan. It truly was brilliant.

It was all going well for them, until they were in the rocket. They had been nearing the control room when Henry suddenly felt himself getting pushed onto the floor by Charles. As he let out a cry of protest, several loud bangs filled the room, the sound deafening in his ears. He felt himself land on his back with a thud, and he felt another weight practically land on top of him. 

His eyes shot open to reveal Charles, his chest and stomach overflowing with blood as the pilots eyes became hazy, his pupils dilating and becoming cloudy as his breathing became slower. He lifted his head, shooting Henry a tired, dorky smile before he slipped away into unconsciousness. Henry quickly sat on his knees, holding Charles in an upright position and attempting to put pressure on where the bleeding was worst.

He looked up, a vicious fire in his eyes as they met the Toppat recruits. They were all pointing their guns at them, ready to shoot. Henry simply accepted his fate, hugging Charles closer to his body in a protective manner.

“Stop!”

A loud voice echoed through the hallway, a voice Henry didn’t recognize. The Toppats clearly did, however, as they immediately moved aside to make room for two superior ranked Toppats. Henry recognized them immediately.

He was standing in front of the leader of the Toppats, Reginald Copperbottom, and his right hand man. While the one with the orange mustache pointed his gun at him, the two hatted man clearly had other plans, gently pushing the gun away.

“You’re Henry Stickmin, correct?”

Henry hesitated before nodding, still glaring daggers at the other.

“One of the greatest names in the criminal world, the man behind the robbery of the Tunisian diamond and the memorable escape from the Wall, one of our top priorities on our recruitment list...”

He cut himself off with a sudden chuckle.

“And we find you working for the government?”

Henry didn’t respond, instead focusing on Charles as he unconsciously winced when Henry had put a bit too much pressure on a specific wound.

He felt someone lean in, staring at the wounded soldier.

“Oh, how heroic. Took several bullets for you, the former thief.”

Copperbottom quickly had to step back, however, when Henry swiped at him, a warning to back off.

“Defensive, now are we? We really need to take off, so I’ll get straight to the point. You join the Toppat Clan, and we don’t kill you. You refuse, you die with your little boyfriend.”

Henry’s eyes went wide, but he didn’t know if it was because of the surprise offer or the fact that he called Charles his boyfriend.

He looked at the leader, then at Charles, fearing for his life as his breathing began to slow even more. He quickly snapped his gaze back to the leader, fiery determination in his eyes.

“One condition.”

“And what would that be?”

“You let him live.”

Henry was allowed time to heal his partner, trying not to think about the bitter end to their companionship. He did his best, as he had no experience cleaning or bandaging wounds, and carried him outside so he would be safe from the rocket’s blast, making sure to call the general and inform him he was wounded, cutting off his call to make sure he thought something had happened to Henry. 

He gave his unconscious friend a bittersweet smile and gently kissed him on the forehead before walking away.

He joined the Toppats, as a simple recruit. He just did whatever he was ordered to do, working as hard as he could, doing as many tasks as possible to avoid thinking about his former partner, aside from the fact that Charles was always telling him if he worked hard on everything he did, and he would be rewarded.

Well, turns out the young pilot was right.

He began quickly rising through the ranks, getting more and more responsibilities, but controlling more and more of the clan.

He began realizing how much more fun it was to work in the clan than the military. He had more flexible hours, more exciting missions, better teammates that didn’t care if he spoke or not and treated him as if he were royalty. He was enjoying going up the ranks, and being one of the higher-ups gave him a feeling of power unlike any other.

Although he adored his work, he still wasn’t completely happy, and he knew why. His heart ached at all times, a bittersweet pain blooming in his chest, alongside a flood of emotions. Sadness. Joy. Warmth. Cold.

Longing.

He longed to see Charles again. He longed to see if he was okay after getting shot. He longed to hear his voice and feel his aura, for them to hang out after work, for him to wake up to a warm, freshly made cup of coffee while Charles greeted him with his signature dorky, lopsided smile. He wanted to be walking around aimlessly only to find the other beating the hell out of a punching bag, to walk around wearing stuff that didn’t belong to him, to walk round with Charles, talking and joking around about nothing in particular.

One day, his curiosity got the better of him, and he found himself using his day off to go check on his friend.

He was shocked.

Charles looked tired, disheveled, soulless. His eyes were empty as he walked around the base, bumping into something every once in a while. There were very noticeable bags under his eyes and dry tears running down his cheeks. His jacket was basically falling off his figure and his headphones were on his neck. Henry began worrying about that. He knew the pilot wore the headphones because they helped block out the sound from his extremely sensitive ears.

Henry didn’t even want to remember what had happened when he heard someone say his name aloud, but he knew. He remembered that moment, clear as day, and he knew that moment would haunt him for the rest of his life. 

He had been staring at the previously positive man for so long, barely able to stand his cries of agony and pain. He was tormented by this agonizing screams of the man he loved. He forced himself to wait until he calmed down, and when nearly two hours had gone by, someone decided to shoot him with a tranquilizer. It made him angry, but he was too focused on Charles to care.

Even in his sleep, he still looked distraught, horrified by whatever his mind was making him live through. Henry could’ve sworn he vaguely heard his name softly whispered by him several times.

After that visit, Henry took it upon himself to make sure nothing happened to the man ever again. He ordered the recruits under his wing to watch over Charles, attentively listening to their report as they came back every few days before sending another recruit.

Rumors began roaming through the airship, people wondered who the pilot was and why Henry was so interested in him, but nobody dared try to research him. It had been made very clear that, if you tried to find out or ask questions, you would get punishment. Same rules applied to questioning why he always wore a broken earpiece, never allowing anyone to repair it or even so much as look at it for too long. Very few people knew about their superior’s past life.

The only people that knew were Reginald, Right Hand Man, and eventually, someone else managed to find out.

Ellie was relatively new to the clan, but she moved up the ranks extremely fast.

Henry recognized her from the Wall. They hadn’t talked, since she was transferred to a cell the moment Henry showed up, and of course, Henry hadn’t said a word while they were together. 

Ellie was a great thief and a powerful opponent. She had a strange power she called “The Force”, which made her even more dangerous. She was pretty laid back and friendly, but she always managed to get the job done.

Although it took a while, Henry and Ellie became close friends. She became what people considered his “Right Hand Lady” and they worked together very frequently. Since Henry trusted her, she was trusted with the most important missions, including protecting Charles every few shifts.

So, naturally, Ellie got curious.

“So, who’s that government pilot you insist I babysit?”

Henry nearly spat out his coffee one morning in surprise when he heard that question. He sighed and placed his mug down. He had been expecting this question for a long time, yet it still managed to catch him off guard. He stayed still for a second, wondering how he was supposed to word exactly what Charles meant to him.

‘He’s my best friend.”

She hummed in understanding and took a sip from her drink (Henry had no idea if she was drinking coffee or tea, but he was leaning more into the latter.) She placed her cup down (Yes, it was tea.) and approached Henry, standing in directly in front of him.

“Don’t play dumb, Stickmin. Are you sure he isn’t your boyfriend?”

If he hadn’t choked on his drink before, he definitely did this time. 

Ellie smirked, teasing eyes showing victory as Henry coughed out his drink, bringing a hand to his crimson face as his throat burned with embarrassment and coffee. He quickly began signing, clearly flustered.

“W-what?”

She rolled her eyes.

“Charles Calvin? 24 year old veteran? The guy who you made that leader’s hat that you keep around for? He began working for the government as a soldier and pilot at the age of 19, since he graduated early, crashed some helicopters, one of the strongest and most reliable, blah blah blah, doesn’t matter. The real interesting stuff is that he used to be your partner, and if these records are to be believed, you two lived together while you worked in the government! Wow, you guys moved in together so quickly. What about the fact that-“

“You researched him.”

She abruptly stopped when she heard his voice, surprised at how shaky it tumbled out as he stared at the glistening surface of his coffee. It reminded him of the glistening surface of his diamond when he came back from work late, only to see it polished by the man in the red headphones. 

It made him wish he had left the diamond with Charles instead of bringing it with him to space.

He was mostly facing away from her, but from the little Ellie could see, his eyes were tired and depressed, nearly empty but flooded with negative emotion. She suddenly felt guilt about what she had done. She had only meant to tease him a little to get her answers. She hadn’t expected whatever this was to happen.

“Yeah... I did...”

He sighed and gently placed his drink down, the bags under his eyes suddenly becoming more noticeable as he lightly rubbed them. He brought his left hand to his earpiece, lightly caressing it with his thumb as he responded. He decided to use his voice to speak, seeing as his hands were too shaky to respond properly.

“You knew it was forbidden to research him, but I suppose it was inevitable that you would find out...”

He carefully took off his earpiece and held it in front of him, his eyes clouded with longing as he concentrated on nothing but his bittersweet memories. He took a shaky, deep breath as he continued.

“Charles is the greatest person I’ve ever met, and the greatest person I’ll ever meet. He used to be so happy, so reliable, so dorky, so excited, like a small, hyperactive puppy... so kind, so friendly and funny... Just so... perfect... He was always loyal, to everything and everyone. His job, dreams, goals, superiors... But the one thing he was loyal to the most...”

He clenched his trembling fist around the earpiece, still being extremely gentle to not break it. He brought the broken device to his chest while his other hand held his head, tears clouding his sight as they flowed freely from his eyes. Henry had finally snapped.

“W-was me... He always made sure I was alright, always worried, always made me smile, always comforted me... He put others before himself, but he always put me before others... While others treat me like vermin, trash, an inconvenience, a thief, an asset, royalty simply because I’m their leader, Mr. Stickmin... Charles never saw me as any of those things. He saw me as a person. A friend... he saw the true Henry.”

He inhaled deeply before he continued, sounding more tired than anyone Ellie had ever heard.

“I’m the reason Charles is the way he is. The reason he’s so angry, so devastated, so empty, so broken... so, so dead.”

He put the earpiece back in place before smiling a soft, pained smile.

“W-watching over him, working hard for his sake... it’s the least I can do, after all the misery I’ve put him through, right..?”

From that day forward, Ellie never once underestimated how hard Henry worked for the sake of the young pilot.

As Henry continued to work hard, he barely noticed as he rose to the very top. He barely noticed when Reginald acknowledged Henry would make a much better leader for the clan than he could ever be, with all his plans and ideas and his youth, and decided to give him his position. All Henry knew is that he had to keep working hard. For Charles.

When he had been in the government, Henry always knew General Galeforce never really liked him.

It was just a nagging feeling he always felt, and something he always knew, even if the general tried to hide it as much as possible. He could always feel his glare in the back of his head as he and Charles walked around the base, he would often hear a soft growl whenever Charles talked to Henry during briefings, there was always a disappointed sigh whenever Charles translated Henry’s sign language into spoken words, and there was always a not-so-subtle annoyed grunt when Henry would do literally anything.

Henry always thought it was a little weird, but he always ignored it, and moved on. He had much more important things to think about (Charles) than the general. He always blamed it on his past.

What Henry always thought it was a extremely bizarre, however, was that the man seemed to adore Charles, but always seemed to detest his partner. He always favored Charles, gave him the best missions and tried his best to partner him up with other people, only reluctantly agreeing to let him go with Henry whenever Charles would insist that he was completely capable of the job. How the general always, always, ALWAYS call him “Charlie”...

But what Henry had never once considered, was the fact that the man might want something more from Charles.

Now, Henry absolutely loathed and despised the man, wanted him tortured and killed for what he had done to his poor, poor Charles. Thinking about what he had tried made his blood boil, made his mind go haywire with the bloodlust that took over him and his fists clench tightly with the desire to strangle him. He swore he would someday get his revenge, capture him and made him beg for mercy...

But for now, he had to make sure Charles was alright.

He decided to use another of his limited days off to make sure Charles was alright himself. He used his free time to make sure that nothing would bother the veteran and that everything was quiet. He made sure that the pilot received no news unless they were good news. 

He made sure he kept a closer eye on him those few days.

He was extremely shocked, however, when he heard from Ellie that Charles had gotten fired. It made him a thousand times more furious and livid he had previously been, made him want to be the one to hunt down and torture everyone who had ever hurt his Charles in any way, shape, or form.

He was thinking in his office, planning his revenge against General Galeforce, when he got a call from his other (working) earpiece, which was on his desk. He grabbed the earpiece and answered the call, expecting it to be from Right Hand Man (Nobody knew his name, and that was still technically his position since he was still Reginald’s second in command).

Turns out he was right, but the call wasn’t about what he was expecting.

Someone had, according to him, flown into the base on a secret government prototype, dodging the bullets as if he had years of experience, and wanted to join the Toppat Clan under the demand of flying freely.

Immediately, Henry demanded to know what the pilot’s name was, and he felt the happiest he had felt since joining the clan in that moment.

He quickly organized his office, wanting to make a good impression after so much time apart, and paced around the room, nerves taking over the Toppat leader.

After he was done panicking for a few moments, he ordered Right to make him one of the higher ups and to meet him later, in is office.

He waited for a long time, but he didn’t mind waiting just a bit longer. After all, he still had to organize his office more, since it was such a huge mess. He internally panicked as he cleaned up his office.

So there he was, back where this story began, staring at the shutters of his office while deep in thought. He was thinking about how this could go, and what he could expect from Charles after being apart for so long. He wondered how the pilot would react when he saw Henry. Would he be happy? Relieved? Angry? Upset? Would he slap Henry for leaving him a broken man or would he hug tackle him excitedly?

Henry couldn’t help but be nervous, and he hoped that the other would forgive and forget instead of getting revenge.

He heard a click from the door and he walked to his desk, clicking another button to let them inside. The room suddenly gained a lot more light as the door slid open, the hallway’s brightness filling the room with a strong glow. He gulped from his place in the shutters as he felt two presences join him in the room.

“Hey, boss! Ellie here. Just wanted to tell you that I did what you asked, and brought the newbie. Can I leave yet? I’m really tired after the last mission and I wanna sleep.”

Henry rolled his eyes with slight amusement. Of course Ellie would insist on meeting the man that had stolen the ruthless thief’s heart, and of course she would make sure that he and Henry were alone together. That was one of the things he liked most about Ellie. She treated everyone the same, treating him like her friend instead of royalty, even though he was her superior. Of course, he didn’t mind, but what really stood out was her ‘tiredness’ from her last mission.

Which had been to watch over the ex-government pilot before he had unfairly gotten fired.

“Of course, Ellie. You are dismissed.”

He nervously clenched his fists in anticipation as he heard the doors shut, leaving the room in the dark as he and Charles were seconds away from reuniting.

“Sir, you wanted to see me?”

So nobody had told Charles who he was. Good. He wanted to surprise the pilot. He gulped before he answered, his mouth suddenly feeling dry as he forced the words out.

“Yeah. I’ve been wanting to see you for a long time, Charles. I’ve missed you.”

Henry allowed him to speculate what his words meant for a second before he turned around and clicked another button on his desk, removing the shutters and allowing the gorgeous view to be seen, adding a bit more light into the dark room.

He stared right at Charles, and Charles stared back, his eyes wide with shock, concentrated on him instead of the view behind him.

Henry didn’t even bother thinking about the view. After all, the man standing before him was more extraordinary than space could ever be.

Charles looked exactly what Henry had always envisioned him to look like when he chose the outfit for him, but it was still looked so much better than he could have ever imagined. He felt pride and overwhelming happiness when he saw those signature red headphones, standing out yet blending in with his beautiful outfit an color scheme. After so long, the hat that had been sitting around idly in his room was meeting its purpose. 

Charles quickly stepped back, the disbelief in his eyes obvious as he nearly tripped on nothing. After regaining his footing, he stammered out a single name that made the butterflies in his stomach return with a vengeance.

“H-Henry..?”

Henry slightly chuckled and approached the pilot with slow, deliberate steps. He signed his response, not quite trusting his voice to work as he stared at the adorably confused pilot ahead, who was slightly tilting his head.

‘The one and only.’

The pilot shuddered and started shaking, lowering his head and staring at the floor, walking backwards until his back hit the wall. He seemed to spiral deeper and deeper into confusion as he stammered out nonsense. 

“B-b-but you- But w-we- I-I didn’t- Y-you-“

Henry finally reached the confused man, cutting off his incoherent mumbles as he reached a hand under his chin, tilting Charles’ head upwards and staring deeply into those heavenly, bewitching eyes.

“Yes?”

That simple question was all it took for Charles’ face to become completely red, making him struggle even more to find his voice. Eventually, Henry felt him take a deep breath and lean into the touch, making his heart flutter.

“Why did you leave..?”

Henry flinched at the question and nervously scratched the back of his head, not wanting to answer the question in fear of saying the wrong thing. He thought for a few seconds before answering, focusing on the feeling of Charles’ boiling red face against the palm of his hand.

“Charles, as much as I enjoyed working and going on missions with you, I always knew that my true purpose was elsewhere. I always knew I would eventually have to leave, and so, I did. On that mission in which we had to stop the Toppats, I was offered a position which, if I took, would allow me to save your life after you heroically took several bullets for me. I saw my chance, our chance, and I took it, becoming one of the Toppat’s higher ups and working my way towards the top.”

Henry saw as the tension in Charles disappeared, causing him to lean into his hand as he allowed himself to relax. Henry held back a triumphant smirk as Charles looked up at him.

“Why’d you stay?”

Henry allowed himself to smirk, wanting to fluster the pilot.

“Is that any way to speak to your superior, Charles?”

He saw Charles shiver as more weight was placed onto his hand, the strain in his arm to hold the other one up not a problem for him as he continued to speak. He still wasn’t very comfortable speaking, but for Charles, he would make an exception.

“I stayed for you, Charles. I didn’t want you to go through the pain of losing someone dear... but I couldn’t turn down this chance. This is where I belong, making my own rules and working under my own circumstances. I’ve always seen how loyal you are, to your work, your goals, your dreams... It really is an admirable thing to possess. And I also saw how you, a government pilot who thought he lost it all, gave up everything, your work, stability, your commitment to the law... just because of your loyalty to me...”

Henry chuckled a bit at Charles’ reaction as he gasped, surprised to hear the other had been spying on him from afar this entire time, and his face somehow became an even deeper shade of crimson. The hat on the other’s head fell onto the floor, leaving him only in those signature red headphones of his.

“And here you are now, the newest member of the Toppats. My new right hand man, personal chauffeur, and my partner in crime...”

His smirk faltered, becoming a genuine, sweet smile, as he took Charles’ hat off the floor and placed it back on his head. Henry extended his other hand, as if he meant for Charles to take it, as his smirk came back, sharper than ever before.

“Charles Calvin... Welcome to the Toppat Clan...”

Henry felt the other basically melt at those words, his legs becoming jelly and making him lean all of his weight on Henry’s hand. Henry stared deep into the pilot’s eyes as he saw pure affection cloud Charles’ judgement. For a moment, he wondered if the other felt the same way Henry felt, but he knew that was a question for later. At the moment, the only thing he cared about was Charles, as the other gently cupped the hand Henry had on his cheek. He felt pure love flood his senses as Charles muttered his response.

“At your service, sir...”

In that moment, Henry knew that everything both of them had gone through had been worth it, just for this very moment.

**Author's Note:**

> So, I really hope you guys enjoyed reading this as much as the other one! Make sure to tell me what I did right or wrong, I’m open to constructive criticism.


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